The basics: how to use Claude

Using Claude is simple at its core: you have a conversation. But a few basics make everything smoother. This lesson covers the fundamental interactions so the rest of the course builds on solid ground.

The conversation. You type a request in the message box, Claude responds, and you refine in follow-ups. This back-and-forth is the core skill — the first answer is a starting point, and you improve it by saying 'make it shorter,' 'more formal,' 'add an example,' 'that's not quite right, try…'. Don't expect one perfect prompt; expect a good conversation. Your account and chat history sync across web, desktop, and mobile.

Attaching files and images. You can attach documents (PDFs, Word, spreadsheets), images, and more to a message — then ask Claude to summarize, analyze, or work with them (Module 2 goes deep on this). This is one of Claude's strengths, thanks to its ability to handle very long inputs.

Starting new chats vs. continuing. Start a new chat for a new topic (each conversation has its own context); continue a chat when the ongoing context matters. Claude remembers everything within a single conversation, and has a broader Memory feature (later lesson) for carrying useful context across chats.

The key features you'll see. As you use Claude you'll encounter: web search (for current info), Artifacts (a side panel for substantial content — Module 3), voice mode (talk instead of type), and file attachment. Free plans include a lot of these; we'll cover each. For now, just know the interface is a chat with these capabilities available.

A good first habit. Be clear and specific from the start (next lesson goes deep on prompting), and get comfortable iterating — treating Claude's response as a draft you refine through conversation. That habit alone will make you far more effective than most users.

The takeaway: using Claude is a conversation — type a request, get a response, and refine in follow-ups (the first answer is a starting point you improve by asking for changes), with your history syncing across web, desktop, and mobile. You can attach files and images (PDFs, docs, spreadsheets, photos) and ask Claude to work with them — a real strength given its long-input ability. Start a new chat for a new topic; continue one when context matters. You'll encounter web search, Artifacts, voice, and file attachment as you go. The key first habit: be clear and specific, and get comfortable iterating — treating each response as a draft to refine — which makes you far more effective than most users.